Kelly Tarlton’s Sea Life Aquarium sits on Tamaki Drive in Auckland, New Zealand, built into a set of disused sewage storage tanks that marine archaeologist and diver Kelly Tarlton transformed into an underwater attraction. It opened in 1985 after roughly ten months of construction, using a then-new method of shaping acrylic into curved panels rather than the flat viewing windows used by earlier aquariums.
That innovation let Tarlton build a 110-meter acrylic tunnel with moving walkways carrying visitors past sharks, stingrays, and other marine life gliding overhead, one of the first attractions in the world to combine the two ideas. Today the aquarium is owned by Merlin Entertainments and operates as part of the global SEA LIFE brand, drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors a year to see its sharks, rescued turtles, and Antarctic penguins.
Stats at a Glance
- Location: Auckland, New Zealand
- Opened: 1985
- Main tank size: About 3.8 million litres (shark tank)
- Species: 50+ species, 1,500+ animals
- Annual visitors: Over 400,000
- Famous for: World’s first curved acrylic viewing tunnel
Built Inside Old Sewage Tanks
The aquarium’s most unusual feature is its origin: Kelly Tarlton built it inside decommissioned 1960s sewage storage tanks on the Auckland waterfront rather than constructing a purpose-built shell. The curved acrylic tunnel technique he pioneered there let visitors see fish and sharks swimming directly overhead with none of the distortion or blind spots of flat-paneled tanks, a design later copied by aquariums worldwide.
The main shark tank holds bronze whaler, sevengill, and school sharks alongside wobbegongs and stingrays, all viewed from the moving walkway that carries guests slowly through the tunnel. A separate 350,000-litre tank, now used as Turtle Bay, was originally built as a stingray exhibit before being converted for sea turtle rehabilitation.
Antarctic Penguins and Expansion
In 1994 the aquarium added an Antarctic exhibit featuring a replica of the hut used by explorer Robert Falcon Scott, alongside a climate-controlled habitat for king and gentoo penguins. Stingray Bay followed in 2004, built using crystal-clear acrylic, and the whole complex underwent a NZD $5.5 million refurbishment in 2012 after Merlin Entertainments took ownership and rebranded it under the SEA LIFE name.
Kelly Tarlton himself did not see the attraction reach its full popularity: he died of a heart attack just months after it opened in 1985. The aquarium that bears his name has continued expanding in the decades since, remaining one of Auckland’s most visited paid attractions.
Explore more: More zoos and aquariums.
Kelly Tarlton’s Sea Life Aquarium FAQs
When did Kelly Tarlton’s Sea Life Aquarium open?
It opened in 1985 in Auckland, New Zealand, built inside former sewage storage tanks on Tamaki Drive.
Who was Kelly Tarlton?
Kelly Tarlton (1937-1985) was a New Zealand marine archaeologist and diver who designed and built the aquarium, pioneering its curved acrylic viewing tunnels.
Who owns the aquarium today?
Merlin Entertainments, which acquired the site in 2011 and operates it as part of its global SEA LIFE aquarium brand.
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Photo: Jonathan Harker / CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.